The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the Wall Street Journal with data from Nielsen BookScan.
1. Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success by Kerry Patterson. Shows how individuals can come to understand these powerful and influential forces, and how to put these forces to work in a positive manner that brings real and meaningful results.
2. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths
by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? Do you feel that you are both a person who gets things done and someone who offers penetrating analysis? Well, you can discover whether you are truly an “achiever” or an “analytical” by completing the online quiz. Then, the book will give you “ideas for action” and tips for how best you can work with others. More of a patiencetester than Strengthsfinder, the quiz/book is probably best for those who have lots of time on their hands.
3. Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul
by Howard Schultz. The president and chairman of Starbucks shares the remarkable story of his return and the company’s ongoing transformation under his leadership, revealing how, during one of the most tumultuous economic times in history, Starbucks again achieved profitability and sustainability without sacrificing humanity.
4. The Money Class: Learn to Create Your New American Dream
by Suze Orman. The financial planner asserts that the New American Dream is not the things we accumulate but the confidence that comes from knowing that which we’ve worked so hard for cannot be taken away from us.
5. Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary
by Frank I. Luntz. An examination of communication excellence and how top performers win in all areas of human endeavor by utilizing superb communication skills.
6. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
by Patrick Lencioni. The author targets group behavior in the final entry of his trilogy of corporate fables. When the instructional tale is over, Lencioni discusses the “five dysfunctions” (absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results) and provides a questionnaire for readers to use in evaluating their own teams and specifics to help them understand and overcome these common shortcomings.
7. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
by Dave Ramsey. Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host.
8. Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World
by William D. Cohan. The author of The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Frères & Co.
and House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street
, offers a revelatory history of Goldman Sachs, the most dominant, feared, and controversial investment bank in the world.
9. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t
by Jim Collins. The author of Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
examines the question “How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?”
10. Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions
by Guy Kawasaki. The author of The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
argues that in business and personal interactions, your goal is not merely to get what you want but to bring about a voluntary, enduring, and delightful change in other people. By enlisting their own goals and desires, by being likable and trustworthy, and by framing a cause that others can embrace, you can change hearts, minds, and actions.
